I had a hard time believing businesses weren’t cooperative with police when it came to stopping shoplifters, so I asked Police Chief Mike O’Brien about it. The interview was stunning.

He said one business in town expects to lose almost a quarter of a million dollars to theft this year. That business, not coincidentally, doesn’t detain shoplifters and won’t prosecute them.

O’Brien said almost all locally owned businesses will call police on shoplifters and help prosecute them. But he estimates that 40 percent of corporate-owned grocery and big-box stores have policies handed down by the corporate office that don’t allow them to detain or chase shoplifters. If police happen to catch a thief they will not press charges.

He told the story of a clothing store in town where thieves took a cart out the front door and “filled the car with clothes.” The store called police but said it wouldn’t prosecute.

A more common problem is people stealing alcohol, which leads to other problems after they drink it.

O’Brien wouldn’t identify any of the stores by name. Clearly he’s trying to work with the stores and convince them that shoplifting will only get worse as word spreads among Chico’s petty thieves about where they can get away with it.

Local management often cares, but their hands are tied by a policy made by someone in another state. The corporations don’t care about Chico’s struggles with crime.

I caught a little glimpse of the indifference last year when I was working on a story about crime in the shopping center on Mangrove and Vallombrosa avenues. Local management referred me to the corporate offices. The corporate office either didn’t call back or sent me to a PR person who wouldn’t answer my questions, but instead delivered a written statement of unprintable piffle that had nothing to do with the question.

Since I can’t get them to explain their policy, I asked O’Brien if he could. He diplomatically tried. He said businesses are worried about getting sued, and some don’t want their paying customers to be subjected to chases or wrestling matches with shoplifters. It’s not good for the shopping experience.

“They’d rather absorb the loss,” O’Brien said. “Now, I think there’s a breaking point somewhere and when we’re talking about hundreds of thousands of dollars, I’d suggest that breaking point has been reached and they need to rethink their position.”

The chief added: “At least be willing to report and prosecute. Be willing to allow us to come in and assist you.”

More proactive businesses don’t have the same problems. O’Brien said one large business that hires private security to watch for shoplifters, apprehend them, call the police and prosecute expects to lose about $16,000 this year. That’s much better than $250,000.

But it’s about more than just stopping business losses. It’s about helping the community and not enabling thieves. Crime leads to more crime until somebody stops it. Help the police do their job.

“We’re trying to educate businesses,” O’Brien said. “We don’t want you to become victims. At the same time, you have to understand if you do not take a proactive position on this and call (police) and prosecute, you are creating a climate in this community that is damaging and harmful to it. It’s not what we want for this community. I hear it loud and clear from community members. They do not want a culture that’s enabling.”

It’s strange to have to say, but accountability for criminals has to start with accountability for retailers that enable the problem.

Editor David Little’s column appears each Sunday. Contact him at dlittle@chicoer.com.